11 Books You Need To Read If You Love Southern Food

Southern food has been in the spotlight for quite some time now. The country is in love. Between the fried chicken, biscuits, barbecue and pickles, it's easy to see why. The cuisine is so comforting, so heart-warming, it has made many rational people secretly wish they could shed their own heritage for an upbringing in that warmer part of the country. (Or at least had a good excuse to move there.)

But since we can't change that, the next best thing to having grown up with these foods is to learn about them. And to school yourself on all things Southern food -- aside from eating, which you should do a lot of -- is to read about it.

We recently had the opportunity to attend the Southern Food Writing Conference, where we got to spend two full days with some of the most inspired Southern writers of our times -- John T. Edge and Ronni Lundy, to name a couple. They shared with us some of the books about Southern food culture that they find to be the most important, and we're here to share them with you. From cookbooks to food essays to documentary reportage, here are 11 of the books that will pique your curiosity about Southern food and culture.

1If you want a better understanding of the reality of the civil rights movement, John T. Edge recommends you read 'A Mind To Stay Here.'

There's nothing more classic than fried chicken done up the Southern way. Buttermilk tenderizes the meat and the flour is spiked with spices including mustard, paprika and garlic and onion powders. Sprinkle with salt before serving.
<strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/southern-fried-chicken_n_1055835.html" target="_hplink">Southern Fried Chicken</a> recipe</strong>